The Daily Texan 2018-04-26

SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY SINCE 1900 @THEDAILYTEXAN | THEDAILYTEXAN.COM

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 146

N E WS

O PI N I O N

LI FE&A RTS

SPORTS

First-generation senior shares tips for minimizing costs of study abroad programs. PAGE 2

Thoughts on campus trees, state elections and creative uses of the blockchain. PAGE 4

UT’s annual fashion show brings student designers’ work onto the runway. PAGE 8

Longhorns look to make the professional leap during the 2018 NFL Draft. PAGE 6

WEST CAMPUS

Goodall Wooten Dormitory unexpectedly closes Residents surprised by dormitory closure news one month before end of leases.

By Chase Karacostas & Meara Isenberg @ chasekaracostas @mearaannee

T

he Goodall Wooten is a plain, highrise dormitory building located on The Drag. It’s known by residents as “The Woo,” and many who pass by it barely even notice it’s there.

Some of its residents seek out The Wooten for its low-rent rooms, others for its eccentric community. Last week, they learned the building would be closing its doors, giving them a month’s warning before they must leave.

“One month’s notice at the end of the semester doesn’t seem fair to the majority of us,” said Sebastian Caicedo, the second floor resident assistant. “No written notice. It’s all verbal. A lot of things here feel unofficial.”

Sebastian Caicedo, an Austin Community College student, is the second floor resident assistant at the Goodall Wooten and has lived there for three years. juan figueroa | the daily texan staff

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Nate Bell, the Wooten’s resident handyman, has been a resident at the Goodall Wooten for 10 years. juan figueroa | the daily texan staff

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The 62-year-old building can house a few hundred residents, but Caicedo, an Austin Community College student, said only about 60 people live there now. The standard lease term given to residents ends May 16, the day they were told they must leave by.

On April 16, residents said they heard of The Wooten’s closing from building manager Kevin Wright, who has worked there for decades.

“We thought the status quo would continue for at least a couple of years,” said Yusuf Mufti, a resident of The Wooten and biology freshman at UT. “We’re not entirely sure why this is happening. We are all taken aback.”

The Wooten is valued at $5.2 million, and multiple RAs have said they were told by Wright that the building will either be sold, renovated or demolished, but that has been the only information they have been given.

Wright has declined repeated requests for comment, and Allen Green, the real estate manager who controls the building for its owner David McCullough, could not be reached for comment. But residents said

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hannah simon | the daily texan staff Work Room students gather around Kathy Vong, left, a junion design major and project manager of Work in More You, as she completes the first of many buttons.

juan figueroa | the daily texan staff Diane Campos, visual arts and Mexican-American studies sophmore, right, speaks to Aurora Martinez-Jones, county associate judge for Travis County, during the First-Generation Networking Reception Wednesday night.

Stress relief kits promote college student well-being

By Mason Carroll @masoncarroll

With finals right around the corner, this time of year can be extremely stressful for students across campus.

However, a group of design students are creating a campaign to spread mental health

awareness and joy to students during finals season.

The campaign, called Work in More You, plans to create a large-scale capsule machine — similar to the ones found at grocery stores — place it in front of the PCL during finals week and fill it with trinkets such as stickers and

chocolate to remind students to set aside time for their mental health. Design junior Carolina Masuero said they want to address mental health in a more approachable way. “(Mental health) is something that goes on in

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First-generation graduates, students share experiences

By Maria Mendez @mellow_maria

Carmel Fenves, a textile artist and First Lady of UT, said her parents always worked for her to go to college, but could not offer advice to navigate the college experience.

“As much as my parents

supported me, I was on my own,” Fenves said.

First-generation Longhorns shared the obstacles they face at the inaugural Division of Diversity and Community Engagement’s First-Generation Network Reception on Wednesday. The reception was part of new efforts to support first-generation students at UT, who

make up 22.5 percent of undergraduates for the 2017–2018 academic year.

Fenves, a University of California at Davis graduate, began the event as the keynote speaker discussing her career journey.

Fenves said she owes her success to her parents, but her success

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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018

NATION

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Court decision on sanctuary cities could have little effect on Texas, Austin Police Department

News Reporters Jessica Regan, Sol Chase

@allyson_renee7

Last week, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a nationwide injunction, ruling it was unconstitutional for the federal government to withhold funds from local jurisdictions that do not comply with federal immigration enforcement.

However, this decision could mean little for the state of Texas, said Denise Gilman, UT law clinical professor.

“The federal government, under this ruling, still cannot withhold money in reprisal for local jurisdictions taking decisions not to collaborate with federal immigration authorities, but it doesn’t really matter because there’s a much bigger hammer available in Texas, which is state law,” said Gilman, director of the Texas Law Immigration Clinic.

In an effort to target sanctuary cities, the Department of Justice, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, issued three requirements law enforcement must comply with to receive federal funding: Notify the Department of Homeland Security when they have an undocumented immigrant in their custody, hold suspects for 48 hours until federal authorities arrive, and share information with federal immigration authorities as stipulated under

katie bauer| the daily texan file U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions laid out rules for law enforcement to comply with federal immigration enforcement to receive funding. federal law.

The appellate court ruled that local jurisdictions, for the time being, are not obligated to cooperate under the first two rules in order to receive federal funding.

Anna Sabana, Austin Police Department spokesperson, said some of the DOJ’s conditions would not be applicable to APD. “APD does not maintain custody of its arrestees following arrest — officers take them to a booking facility operated by

Travis County or another entity — and does not have its own jail or correctional facility,” Sabana said in an email. “Therefore, APD does not notify (Department of Homeland Security) or (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) before a person who may not have lawful status is released from custody after being booked into jail.”

Gilman said SB4, known as the sanctuary cities ban, is a bigger deal than federal funding

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Sports Reporters Henry Corwin, Logan Harvil, Myles Turner, Keshav Prathivadi, Dawson Hinkley

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nikita sveshnikov | the daily texan staff From left to right, Boromay Pom, Mandy Renfro, Hannah Otiker, Shelbey Humpert and Janci Addison set up a tent to raise awareness for unused prescription drugs.

The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely. If we have made an error, let us know about it. Call (512) 232-2217 or e-mail managingeditor@ dailytexanonline.com.

UT Wellness Network hosts Prescription Drug Take Back

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being withheld. SB4 requires Texas law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration agencies, and makes it permissible for law enforcement to question the immigration status of people arrested or detained.

“It’s not really that state law trumps federal law,” Gilman said. “But we’re basically put back into the same place under SB4 which forces local jurisdictions to comply with federal immigration request aside from

any funding issue.”

Travis County Sheriff’s Office enacted a policy last year not to hold inmates for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain suspected undocumented individuals. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to withhold $1.5 million in criminal justice grants, provided by his office, for the county, if they did not comply with federal immigration authorities, according to the Texas Tribune.

The DOJ has not yet released Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, which provide critical funding to local law enforcement, for the 2017 fiscal year.

Ruth Wasem, clinical professor in the LBJ School of Public Affairs and former domestic policy specialist for the U.S. Library of Congress, said despite the recent appellate ruling, the DOJ is not out of legal options to target sanctuary cities.

“What will happen is the DOJ will have to decide whether they’re going to challenge the ruling or whether they’re going to just back off and change their policy,” Wasem said. “My sense is that the Trump administration will push this further through the courts because it’s something the president seems to feel very strongly about.”

The U.S. Department of Justice’s 2016 National Drug Threat Assessment reported that 52 people across the country die every day from overdosing on painkillers.

In response to the growing national drug crisis, the UT Wellness Network held a Prescription Drug Take Back Day yesterday, where students and the public could dispose of medications safely. The disposal is completely anonymous, and participants received pizza and a t-shirt after they discarded their pills. Medication will be transported by the UT Police Department to the Forty Acres Pharmacy to be discarded.

“The whole macro level goal is to try to shift the culture about what you do with medication you no longer need,” said Matthew Olson, alcohol and other drug counseling program coordinator

RELIEF

continues from page 1 everybody’s life,” Masuero said. “We wanted to start the conversation not in a heavy way but in a light, fun way to help people not feel guilty or feel ashamed of mental health problems.”

The group was created through a design class called Work Room where students work on projects throughout the semester.

To raise money for the installation, the group is selling $12 stress relief kits, which contain things such as chocolate, lotion and stickers, through a kick starter called IndieGoGo. The group is trying to raise $6,500 by next week, and so far has $265. Advertising senior Dani Munoz said the project will happen no matter what, but

at UT. “Instead of keeping it in your cabinet or flushing it down the toilet, you can turn them in here.”

Students have started to take initiatives to prevent the issue of substance abuse through the formation of UT Wellness Network’s Committee on Substance Safety and Overdose Prevention, or COSSOP. The joint committee includes 10 organizations, colleges and student groups on campus.

“Being in pharmacy, I know that people are always looking for outlets to get rid of their old medications,” said pharmacy sophomore Lindsey Loera. “It’s great to be able to serve the community in that way.”

One group involved in COSSOP is Operation Naloxone, or ON, a collaboration between students and faculty at the College of Pharmacy, College of Social Work and the Texas Overdose Naloxone Initiative. Naloxone is a medication which reverses the effects of an opioid

overdose. ON works to provide overdose prevention and response education to students, health professionals and the public.

Mandy Renfro, pharmacy sophomore and co-chair for the Texas Operation Naloxone Initiative, said she is grateful that her organization was involved in the event.

“When we had our first campus-wide Drug Take Back last semester, I encouraged pharmacy students to come and volunteer with me to help promote safe medication disposal on our campus,” Renfro said. “I am thankful we get to be a part of the event again this year.”

Olson said the COSSOP plans to continue to hold the event once a semester.

“We created this event to combat prescription pill misuse and unintentional overdose,” Olson said. “We need to acknowledge this (crisis) is going on and start taking proactive measures in case it starts to impact our area.”

they need funding to execute the vision they say the campus deserves.

“Funding is difficult because there is still a lot we can do (without the full funding), but at the end of the day it doesn’t get very close to what we need,” Munoz said. “We’re so passionate about this (that) we want to execute this the best (way) that we can.”

Munoz said campaigning for funding is difficult because the demographic they are trying to help, college students, aren’t always able to support projects such as theirs.

“As someone who cannot contribute financially to organizations, I feel like spreading (awareness) is the best way for me to help,” Munoz said. “We owe it to ourselves and the rest of UT to see it through and do the best that we can do.”

Masuero is from Brazil and said she wants to use the opportunity to help with the problems students face, especially mental health.

“It’s really nice because our campus environment is very different than Brazil so I have the opportunity to be more involved and make a difference,” Masuero said.

“It’s international. Mental health applies to everyone. It doesn’t matter what country you’re from.”

Jiwon Park, an assistant design professor, teaches the class and said they have faced many challenges, but she is confident in her students and proud of the work they have done.

“It is always inspiring for me to see the time and effort my students put into the project to try and make it happen,” Park said. “We made this a public promise, and so we have to deliver.”

Wright has offered short-term extensions to anyone who needs more time to find a new place.

The Daily Texan spoke to nine residents, and none had renewed their lease past May 16. It’s possible some residents may have renewed early, but most typically wait until closer to summer, Caicedo said.

Nelson Mock, a landlord-tenant attorney for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, said because the leases end May 16, there is little the tenants can do.

Without a lease that extends past May 16, the owners have no legal obligation to provide tenants continued residency after that date.

“There’s (also) no notice requirement for the tenants to leave,” Mock said. “If everyone in the dorms has a lease term for May 16, then their lease just requires that they have to leave by May 16.”

This marks the end of stay for Wooten’s resident handyman, Nate Bell, who also works freelance jobs such as designing websites and making props. His most noticeable project, however, is the aquaponics system that fills his two-room balcony with fish, ferns and fruit, and can be seen from The Drag.

Bell said he plans to move the aquaponics structure to a friend’s tea house garden. He was planning to leave The Wooten soon anyway and has found a place to stay after his lease is up. Still, he said the Wooten closing was a “wake up call.”

“There was a lot of shock and distress early on because people thought this place was a given,” Bell said. “A lot of those people

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also made it difficult to connect with her family.

“From a young age, I saw my mom and dad as my role models,” Fenves said. “(But college) made my young adult experience different than theirs.”

For sociology senior Matt Thibault, the biggest obstacle was feeling guilty for leaving his family in San Antonio to come to UT. “Coming to UT was tough because I had always helped my family, and I was doing something for myself,” Thibault said.

First-generation students also have to learn how to do simple things that other students may already know. Richard Reddick, an educational leadership and policy associate professor, said he first realized this as an undergrad at UT. During a history class in Garrison Hall, Reddick was unsure if he could go to the restroom, so he raised his hand and asked the teacher, prompting laughs and stares.

“Nobody had explained to me that college was different,” Reddick said. “That makes me think of all the small things you don’t know as a first-generation student.”

Aurora Martinez-Jones, an alumna of the Texas Law School and a Travis County associate

have already come around on it. They’ve got something in the works. (But) there definitely are other people who aren’t in that position.”

Sarnab Battacharya, an electrical engineering graduate student who came to UT from India, had planned to renew his lease in the coming weeks. Instead, Battacharya said he now has to scramble to find a new place.

“If they had said at the beginning of this semester that, ‘We are going to shut down after this semester,’ that would have been fine,” Battacharya said. “When I came here I only had two suitcases, which was OK, I could move them easy, but now I have a computer, a desktop, all the other stuff that I kept buying here. It’s hard to move with all of it.”

Juliana Gonzalez, executive director for the Austin Tenants Council, a group that advocates for tenants’ rights in the area, said what The Wooten is doing is “clever” because it eliminates most legal obligations the landlord might have to the tenants by letting the leases expire without renewals.

“It doesn’t sound (like) there’s been anything illegal done,” Gonzalez said. “The very smartest way to get people out is to make sure all their lease terms end on the same day or give notice on month-to-month leases for that day. Someone’s kind of brilliant in a really unfortunate way.”

Caicedo said The Wooten has its flaws, but he, like other residents, has become attached to the community there.

“I don’t mind that I have to leave, but it’s the timing, the fact that there’s been no communication,” Caicedo said. “I wish I could’ve left this place on my own terms.”

judge, said this affects first-generation students even before arriving at college.

“When I was getting ready to apply, I was still figuring out how to do things,” Martinez-Jones said. “I thought I had to apply to every college that sent me an (application) fee waiver.”

But Martinez-Jones, who founded UT’s student organization Minority Women Pursuing Law, told students to embrace their experience to help others.

“I didn’t know that I was doing something extraordinary by being first to take these steps” Martinez-Jones said. “Embrace and accept that you’re extraordinary with everything that you accomplish.”

Alejandrina Guzman, former student body president, said she worked to organize the reception and UT’s Inaugural First-Gen Kickoff last November, which will now be annual events along with a spring symposium, in order to help first-generation students like herself. Guzman said she also hopes to establish a first-generation orientation and scholarship for students to attend Camp Texas over the next two years.

“It’s always been a big part of my identity … and I wish I had someone there to tell me everything is going to be okay,” said Guzman, a government and Mexican-American and Latino studies senior.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018

ENVIRONMENT

t

veronica jones | the daily texan staff

Confetti used for senior pictures harms aquatic life Students seek ecofriendly alternatives for glitter in photos.

By Brianna Stone @bristone19

A

picture is not only worth a thousand words, but can also be worth a thousand pieces of glitter confetti on the ground.

With commencement right around the corner, graduation photo-taking season is in full effect. However, some of the popular poses, such as throwing confetti, could

leave a mess behind on campus and negatively impact the environment.

Last year some scientists said glitter, also known as microplastics, should be banned because of its negative environmental impact.

According to the National Ocean Service , microplastics are small plastic pieces, less than five millimeters long, that can be harmful to the ocean and aquatic life.

The UK and U.S. have both enacted regulations or bans on certain types of microplastics because of pollution.

At UT, throwing or blowing confetti is a popular graduation photo pose, particularly

in front of the blue door of the School of Architecture building. While UT has not actively discouraged students from using glitter and does not have formal regulations in place, the University said it is used to cleaning up after celebrations.

“Landscape services is fairly custom to cleaning up,” University spokesperson Laurie Lentz said. “Commencement is a very happy event, so they understand there will be things like confetti related to celebration to clean up.”

Nidi Nazam, a 2015 UT alumnus and local photographer, said she keeps the

environment in mind when taking photos of clients.

“I don’t typically use confetti,” Nazam said. “I’m very consciously aware (of the environment) and if I do see confetti on the ground, sometimes we reuse it instead of having a client open a new bag of confetti.”

Nazam said instead of using props, such as confetti, she prefers to incorporate nature into her photos.

“The campus is a really good location and has a lot of natural green environment,” Nazam said.

However, there is a way for students to achieve the confetti glitter aesthetic in

their photos without actually using it. Irma Levrie, a Texas State public relations senior, came up with the alternative of using Photoshop to add fake confetti.

On April 12, Levrie tweeted a short video tutorial of how to achieve this environmentally friendly glitter photo. Since then the tweet has gone viral, gaining nearly 25,000 views.

“I would love to see our environment flourish long after I’m gone, and it’s the little things I can do to not leave a huge carbon footprint,” Levrie said. “Think about the future and what we are leaving behind.”

Levrie said at Texas State, the university posted several signs warning of the negative environmental impact of glitter.

Other popular UT graduation photos include lying in flower beds, standing in the Littlefield fountain or even popping champagne bottles in the fountain. Lentz said typically spilled champagne in the fountain is not an issue unless there is coloring or debris.

“We want people to enjoy themselves and be safe,” Lentz said. “Our staff are used to dealing with big events and cleaning up after.”

CAMPUS

devika manish kumar | the daily texan staff Economics senior Farhan Manjiyani, left, and Kaidy Li, an international relations and global studies freshman, discuss how to maximize the benefits from credit cards

Economics student provides insight on ‘How to Fly for Free’

By Stephanie Adeline @stephadeline

When he entered college as a first-generation student five years ago, economics senior Farhan Manjiyani could only dream of going on a study abroad trip. After discovering strategies that allowed him to go on a study abroad program to Cape Town by spending very little out of pocket, he is determined to help others get the same opportunity.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re out-of-state. It doesn’t matter if you’re an international student,” Manjiyani said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re low socioeconomic status. There is an opportunity for you.”

Since his trip, Manjiyani has been researching hacks to save on travel costs. After narrowing down his findings to four applicable steps, Manjiyani presented his workshop, How to Fly for Free, on Wednesday afternoon at the International Office.

Manjiyani said he plans to study abroad in Hong Kong this summer and is only

paying $11 for his business class flight. However, he said his success story is not something that happens immediately, and Manjiyani covered subjects from credit scores to loyalty programs to monitoring the cheapest airline routes.

“This is something that is a three to four month strategy, but just know what to start doing today so that in three to four, five, six months or a year your flights (will be) paid for,” Manjiyani said.

Credit cards can help to save travel costs, Manjiyani said. Although many students tend to be discouraged from applying for a credit card due to the annual fees, Manjiyani said to look at any travel benefits that come with using the card.

Cesar Jaquez, a management informations systems junior, said he has gone on three study abroad trips, but he wished he had known this information sooner.

“I was looking at credit cards, but I completely disregarded the ones with yearly fees,” Jaquez said. “It’s like this thing about not being afraid … and losing this mentality that

cash is better than credit, because that’s what I was taught.”

Manjiyani said while he can easily earn money through hosting these presentations, he did it for free because his goal is to share this information with those from a low-income and marginalized background.

“People are trying to make money and have side hustles of these classes and teach people for money, but that’s not what’s important to me,” Manjiyani said. “A core tenet of getting knowledge is giving it back.”

While the International Office offers many resources to help low-income students go on a study abroad program, Manjiyani said many students aren’t aware of them, and he hopes to change that.

Biology senior Karishma Ghadia went on a study abroad trip to China and said despite the challenges she faced, it was a valuable experience.

“You learn a great deal about the type of person you are,” Ghadia said. “You meet so many people from different countries, and you really value that whenever you get back here.”

4

LAURA HALLAS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TEXANOPINION

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018

COLUMN

Don’t be blind to the history of UT’s trees

By Laura Doan @le_doan7

senior columnist

Everyday, hundreds of students walk by The Battle Oaks, unaware they are passing the three oldest living things on campus. On the corner of Whitis Avenue and 24th Street, the trees, all resilient Texas live oaks, rooted in the hill an estimated 250-300 years ago and predate both the Civil War and The University of Texas.

The trees were named after the man who saved them: Dr. William James Battle, former university chairman. Thanks to Battle and a group of concerned faculty and staff, the oaks survived 1923, when constructors threatened to cut them down to clear space for biology labs. According to one University legend, Battle sat under the oaks’ sprawling branches with shotgun in hand, prepared to defend them at any cost.

These stories matter. Our campus trees have names, and some have even more history than the University itself. So don’t be tree-blind when you walk around campus. Our trees will be a part of this campus for much longer than one any of us will, and they provide integral benefits to this University. This Arbor Day, stop to read the Battle Oaks’ plaque and make an effort to learn more about UT trees and the caretakers who look out for them.

Students should be cognizant of how much campus landscapers do to make our trees truly exceptional. For 10 years, UT campus

has been designated a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, and was part of the first group of colleges to receive that award in 2008. “We’re pretty proud of that.

It’s not an easy thing to do,” said Jim Carse,

diane sun | the daily texan staff the manager of landscape services. UT landscapers care for the trees in many ways: They prune, they plant, they transplant, and they treat trees sick with diseases like oak wilt. And they do so on a large scale: We have 4,771 trees on campus of 109 species and 40 different genera.

“The landscape and the trees are generally the first things people see when they walk on this campus,” Carse said. Our oaks,

our cedar elms, our bald cypresses help establish great first-impressions for potential students and visiting scholars at UT, and we should credit Carse and his team for that.

Those unmoved by aesthetic value must at least acknowledge the trees’ financial benefits, totaling around $550,000 each year.

The number is an estimate of the value the trees provide by, among other things, upping property values, improving air quality and reducing cooling costs of campus buildings with shade from the tree canopy.

In return for all our trees give us, the very least we can do is know their names. Go to MyTreeKeeper online for the genus, height and diameter of every tree tagged on campus. Peruse the stories of notable trees like the Littlefield Deodar Cedar and the Constitution Oak, and visit the Arbor Day Foundation’s site for more detailed information about every genus and species of tree you can find at UT. Or ask the experts and show up in person at the Arbor Day celebration Friday in

the East Mall in front of Jackson School of Geosciences, where the landscaping team will plant a handful of small trees and offer a sign-up for those interested in volunteering next year.

Next time you’re walking in between classes on campus or reading against the base of a trunk give a little bit more thought both to the

These stories matter. Our campus trees have names, and some have even more history than the University itself. So don’t be tree-blind when you walk around campus.” trees that quietly, gracefully benefit our campus and the landscapers who manage them.

We are only fleeting parts of the lives of many of the trees on campus who have firmer roots than we do, and we will be here long after we walk across the graduation stage.

So respect your place in a larger ecosystem.

Marvel at some trees. Allow them to be what Dr. William James Battle intended: “A source of enjoyment for many generations.”

Doan is an English and Plan II junior from Fort Worth.

COLUMN

Texas isn’t as conservative as one might think

By Sam Groves @samgroves

senior columnist

Last week Quinnipiac University released a poll showing state senator Beto O’Rourke just three percentage points behind in his quest to unseat incumbent Texas senator Ted Cruz this November. Although there’s plenty of reason to be skeptical, the poll is certainly good news for any progressive Texan who’s sick of being represented by a (choose your favorite small nocturnal rodent).

But Quinnipiac actually released two polls last week. The Cruz-O’Rourke poll made a big splash, but the other one is interesting, too. It pierces the stereotype of Texans as xenophobic, gun-toting social conservatives and paints a picture of a state in which public opinion on some of today’s most contentious issues actually skews left of center.

In a political environment warped almost beyond recognition, we should all rethink our preconceptions about the Lone Star State.”

To begin with, Texans have relatively moderate views on immigration, especially in the context of the Trump presidency. The overwhelming majority of those polled say undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, or Dreamers, should be allowed to stay here and eventually apply for citizenship. In fact, with 79 percent supporting this policy in the poll, Texans are actually slightly more liberal on this issue than the nation at large. Furthermore, 64 percent say that all undocumented immigrants should have the

opportunity to stay and apply for citizenship.

This certainly sets our state against the agenda of the Republican president. The Trump administration ended the DACA program — which protected Dreamers from getting deported — last year. The president has been adamant from the very beginning that undocumented immigrants are bad news: criminals, drug dealers and rapists. Only 24 percent of polled Texans agree with him.

Okay, so Texans aren’t that crazy about deporting people from the only home they’ve ever known. That’s one thing. But they’re still clinging to their guns, right?

Well, not entirely. As a matter of fact, the same poll showed that a slim majority of Texans actually support stricter gun laws — including a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons.

Moreover, a whopping 94 percent support universal background checks. These are measures rabidly opposed by the National Rifle Association, which will host Vice President Mike Pence at their convention in Dallas next month.

Just like most Americans, many Texans are sick of watching gun violence claim the lives of innocent people at a rate unparalleled in any other developed country. That hardly makes them a bunch of hippies, but for what it’s worth, 61 percent of Texans support legalizing small amounts of marijuana for personal use. Make of that what you will.

The bottom line is that regardless of whether Beto O’Rourke can pull off a miracle in November and become the first Democratic senator from Texas since 1993, there’s something unique happening in this state. Voters here don’t like Trump — according to the Quinnipiac poll, Texans disapprove of the president’s job performance by a margin of 9 points — and it looks like they’re not keen on the remaking of conservative politics in the president’s image, either. In a political environment warped almost beyond recognition, we should all rethink our preconceptions about the Lone Star State.

Groves is a philosophy junior from Dallas.

rachel tyler | the daily texan staff

COLUMN

City’s blockchain pilot builds equity, not greed

By Ryan Young @ryanayng

senior columnist

Blockchain. You know it as the technology that powers Bitcoin, an internet currency that exploded in value from $1K to $13K per coin in 2017. Bitcoin and Bitcoin-like “cryptocurrencies” have become a cultural phenomenon, and even students are making investments.

But blockchain is not just about creating a nouveau riche of Bitcoin billionaires.

The City of Austin, Travis County and the Dell Medical School think blockchain is also capable of making the world a better place: They want to use the technology to store identity documents for the homeless. They have partnered up to build such a system, called the MyPass Initiative. Although one might be skeptical of an effort to tailor an emerging technology for the homeless, it’s actually a pretty ingenious application of blockchain technology.

A blockchain-enabled app like MyPass would provide complete documentation of

your identity, treatment history, vaccinations and other pertinent information to city departments, field workers and healthcare providers. This would replace physical documents like social security cards and medical records, which are easy to lose if you’re homeless, on top of being

person or entity cannot shut down or control the network. It is also unmodifiable, so that the record can be expected to be complete and historically accurate. To create a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, blockchain is used to store a copy of every single transaction ever made. For an

difficult to mel westfall | the daily texan staff obtain in the first place. app like MyPass, blockchain Why use blockchain? It’s would guarantee that the a technology that provides a continuous redocuments stored on it would exist in perpetucord of data that is decentralized, so a single ity and could only be modified by their owners.

LEGALESE | Opinions expressed in The Daily Texan are those of the editor, the Editorial Board or the writer of the article. They are not necessarily those of the UT administration, the Board of Regents or the Texas Student Media Board of Operating Trustees.

SUBMIT A FIRING LINE | Email your Firing Lines to editor@dailytexanonline.com. Letters must be more than 100 and fewer than 300 words. The Texan reserves the right to edit all submissions for brevity, clarity and liability.

According to Kerry O’Connor, chief innovation officer of the city’s Innovation Office, the idea was inspired by similar systems developed for overseas refugees. Homeless people often have access to the internet through the local library or their own smartphones, and outreach efforts have revealed interest in an app or service that can permanently store their documents.

MyPass is still conceptual at this point.

There are potential privacy concerns, since identity documents and medical records are sensitive information. The city must also think through the user experience — for example, O’Connor says the team is exploring the use of biometrics to log in to the service.

Nonetheless, MyPass represents a commendable attempt by the city to leverage blockchain technology to create a useful a public service.

Unlike the greed-driven gold rush of cryptocurrencies that blockchain has spawned, MyPass is an innovative service that will benefit society’s most disadvantaged members.

Young is a computer science senior from Bakersfield, California.

RECYCLE | Please recycle this copy of The Daily Texan.

Place the paper in one of the recycling bins on campus or back in the burnt-orange newsstand where you found it.

EDITORIAL TWITTER | Follow The Daily Texan Editorial Board on Twitter (@TexanOpinion) and receive updates on our latest editorials and columns.

5

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018

DIMENSION

continues from page 8 work, it’s kinda like a puzzle.”

At the end of the show, the judges will announce winners for categories ranging from most innovative collection to most marketable collection and best overall collection.

Ockhee Bego, director of the show and professor, emphasizes that the show isn’t about winning, but rather to celebrate how far the students have come. She said she’s seen some students that started the program not knowing how to use a sewing machine.

“I see them grow over time,” Ockhee said.

“By the time the show comes around, they are confident in themselves — that is what my greatest joy is.”

Student designers, such as Michelle Cantu, an alumna of UT’s architecture school and currently a textiles senior, said she saw herself excel in her craft over the course of her four years.

“As a designer, new things inspire you so I had no idea I was going to do the collection I’m working on right now,” Cantu said.

“I’m really excited because it (has) exceeded my expectations.”

The show draws in family and friends of designers to Austin just like graduation because of its importance to the designers. Brady is excited to see her family along with her grandmother, who helped her learn to sew.

“Seeing my work on such a big stage will be surreal, but I really want to impress my family and make them proud,” Brady said. For those who may not seem interested in fashion, Hicks emphasized that the show is about more than clothing, about the creativity and all the hard work that goes into the show. She hopes those that attend will leave with an appreciation for what she and her fellow students are doing.

“We may not be doing giant lab reports,” Hicks said, “but we’re still working hard and creating something really interesting.”

lacey segars | the daily texan staff Design senior Stephanie Collins presents her exhibition at “Catalyst,” an exhibition meant to make audiences stop and think about the art on display.

DESIGN

continues from page 8 healthy eating, and moving away from traditional strict dieting. The project consists of plates with portion sizes painted on them, suggesting well-balanced meals.

“The idea is to take dieting and eating well from the forefront of your mind and moving it to the subconscious,” Lamontagne said. “My conversation is more of an inner dialogue where you ask people to reflect on their own preconceived

notions of health than trying to change the way people are doing things.”

In design senior Jessica Lin’s case, her project “Seek” attempts to generate a conversation with software. Her all-in-one web platform intends to make it easier for students to find classes they’re interested in.

“I’ve talked to so many people who thought a class would be a certain way and it turns out it wasn’t, wasting a semester,” Lin said. “(Researching) is definitely worth it sense you are going to spend a whole semester on it and thousands of

EEYORE

continues from page 8

community gathering to support the park coming together every year at the last Saturday in April.

Les Carnes, who has gone to the festival since 1979 and is now volunteer trustee of the festival’s foundation, Friends of the Forest, said the festival shares the same spirit as Eeyore’s birthday in “Winnie-the-Pooh.”

“Eeyore didn’t know when his birthday was, so his friends decided to throw him a special day,” Carnes said. “In the spirit of that, we throw a party for the people that need it and the people that make Austin a little more unique than other cities.”

Carnes said the atmosphere of Eeyore’s Birthday is unlike anything else in Austin, describing it as magical.

“The party is like nothing you’ve seen,” Carnes said. “This is a way of welcoming people to Austin and letting people know the spirit of Austin and the uniqueness of Austin is still there. It’s a way of getting to know

ANIMATION

continues from page 8 Animators Club in fall 2017.

The organization teaches animation as a skill or hobby for future content creators. Melissa Lam, an RTF junior and the club’s vice-president, said teaching the skill to others is a major part of the club.

“We teach the principles of both 2D and 3D animation,” Lam said. “We also have workshops and tutorials so students can understand animation by doing it.”

Lam said the club is good for people who are Arts and Entertainment Technologies and RTF majors and hobbyists alike. Their biggest collaboration goal is

dollars, might as well like it.”

Kim said he realizes in hindsight how intimidating and stressful this rewarding process was, stating that their senior exhibition was akin to writing a senior thesis.

“There was no hand holding in this process,” Kim said. “Knowing to just throw yourself into the water and just swim is something no one wants to do because it’s scary and you don’t know if you are going to drown. But I feel most of us just kept swimming and we’re just glad we made it to the coast.”

your neighbor.”

Accounting sophomore Derek Lutz said he has never attended the celebration, but he is considering going this weekend.

“It looks like a nice break from the end-of-semester stress and the deadlines hanging overhead,” Lutz said. “Plus it’s free.”

Games, music, food, drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), t-shirt, key chains and other various stands will be scattered around the park. Proceeds from the event will be put toward the participating nonprofit organizations.

“Only nonprofits are out there,” Carnes said. “Anyone that shows up to try to make a buck will be run off.”

Texas River School is among one of the participating stands and beneficiaries of this year’s celebration, as they have been for the past twenty years. Joe Kendall, founder and executive director of Texas River School, said they first began volunteering at Eeyore’s Birthday 20 years ago after there was an incident with a stolen canoe.

“Someone suggested we raise

money at Eeyore’s birthday to buy a new canoe,” Kendall said. “That year, we raised enough to buy almost three canoes and we’ve been participating every year since.”

Kendall says volunteering at Eeyore’s Birthday Party can be hard work, but it is ultimately a rewarding experience.

“It’s one of our bigger events of the year, and it’s a lot of work,” Kendall said. “It requires a lot of volunteers. We sell about 2,000 chicken fajitas in seven hours.”

Carnes said volunteers make up 100 percent of the event’s staff, meaning they are the heart and soul of Eeyore’s Birthday.

“There will be anywhere from 1,200 to 1,300 volunteers at a time,” Carnes said.

“And with a park full of people, we can always use more hands.”

Ultimately, Carnes said he advises attendees to come prepared to the festivities this weekend.

“Wear sunscreen and a costume,” Carnes said. “And come spend some money to give back and support all these great nonprofits.”

to one day produce “Animation Jam,” an animation project that encourages students to work as a team.

“We hope we can produce ‘Animation Jam’ next semester and have the entire club have a collaborative effort to make a full length short,” Lam said.

The UT Animators club is not only about teaching the skills and craft of animation but also the careers that come with it. Ethan Le, an RTF sophomore and the club representative, said they discuss smaller but important jobs that help make an animated piece successful.

“We talk a lot about a lot of the other roles in animation such as background design and concept art,” Le said.

Le said after joining the club, he saw how much of an important impact the

club had because he learned to animate from his fellow peers. For Lam, the UT Animators Club has helped her build confidence, and teaching animation to others has motivated her to continue pursuing her passion for it.

Though the club has finished its first year without any major projects, Hinojosa said the club plans to expand in the future. She said she would like for the club to serve as a place where students can continue to create and collaborate with future animators in the Longhorn community.

“With its first year done and working out a lot of its kinks, we have many goals such as the ‘Animation Jam’ and teaching more of (the) UT animation community,” Hinojosa said.

YOUTUBE.COM/THEDAILYTEXAN

6

TRENTON DAESCHNER

SPORTS EDITOR @TEXANSPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018

FOOTBALL

Draft Preview: Longhorns take the field in Arlington NFL hopefuls will finally reach the professional level during the NFL draft.

By Alex Briseno & Keshav Prathivadi

@ alexxbriseno @ kpthefirst

P

rospective NFL players usually don’t get their first taste of standing on an NFL field until August. But this year is different.

The best that colleges have to offer will all meet at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, marking the NFL Draft’s first ever appearance in an NFL Stadium.

Come Thursday evening, the Longhorns anticipate having plenty to cheer about throughout the weekend as they hope to have multiple names called during the 2018 NFL Draft for the first time in three years.

For players like safety DeShon Elliott, offensive tackle Connor Williams and punter Michael Dickson, this is a culmination of the different journeys each of them took to reach this common point.

Williams started his football career in Coppell, Texas, and the highly-touted offensive tackle will see a new beginning of it just 20 miles away from his alma

brooke crim | the daily texan file Texas left tackle Connor Williams blocks Texas Tech sophomore defensive lineman Eli Howard on Nov. 24, 2017 at Darrell K Royal Texas-Memorial Stadium. Williams is projected to go in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft on Thursday. mater. Williams didn’t enter college as the nation’s top recruit.

Now, just a few years after coming to Texas, Williams is predicted to be the first Longhorn off the board

Thursday night.

Dickson found his interest in football by picking up a copy of Madden in Australia.

Now he leaves Austin as the best punter in

the nation and he has a Ray Guy Award to prove it. Dickson made a decision most collegiate punters shy away from — declaring for the draft early. It is tough to predict

where and when Dickson will land, it all depends on which teams are willing to spend a higher pick on a specialist. However, wherever he goes, it is fair to say he has a long, successful career ahead of him.

Longhorn fans should also anticipate hearing linebacker Malik Jefferson early in the draft soon after Connor Williams, likely in the second round. Defensive backs Holton Hill and DeShon Elliott’s names should both be called at some point in the third or fourth rounds at the latest.

Texas fan favorite Poona Ford is one of the larger question marks heading into the draft for the Longhorns. His effort and talent aren’t in question, but the 6-foot defensive lineman did not receive an invitation to the NFL Combine. This isn’t anything new for Ford, who said he has been called “undersized” his entire life.

Big 12 foe Baker Mayfield is a first-round lock and has even been predicted to be the first overall pick by some experts along with USC quarterback Sam Darnold and UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen.

As for the Longhorns, although it is unclear where they will land, it is safe to say that Texas will finally hear more than one player’s name called once the lights turn on for the 2018 NFL Draft in AT&T Stadium.

MEN’S GOLF

Ghim wins Big 12 individual title, Texas finishes second

By Dawson Hinkley @dawsonhinkley

Texas faced an almost impossible task after falling back eight shots after the second round of the Big 12 Championship, but the Longhorns still closed strong in the final two rounds at Southern Hills Country Club.

Heading into Wednesday’s fourth and final round of the tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Longhorns sat in a tie for third place at 18-over par, six shots off the lead.

If it wanted to come back and win its sixth straight Big 12 title, Texas had to put up its lowest score of the tournament.

But the final round was not the miracle round the Longhorns desperately needed.

“We knew that a great round might give us a chance to win, but we didn’t have that today,” Texas head coach John Fields said.

As a team, Texas put up a total score of 289 in its final round — tied for their lowest score of the tournament which came in the first round on Monday. Although the Longhorns did not improve much with their fourthround score, it was still good enough to tie for second with Oklahoma State at 27-over par.

Oklahoma ultimately won the tournament at 19-over par after holding the lead through the last two rounds.

It’s the first time the Longhorns haven’t won the Big 12 championship since 2012, breaking their streak of five consecutive titles.

“We got to the last day,

and we were in the hunt in the last part of the round with a chance to win,” Fields said. “It didn’t happen this time, but we have a couple more tournaments this year with a chance to win, so we will be ready for those.”

On the bright side for the Longhorns, senior Doug Ghim, who made his Masters debut earlier this month, shot a final-round 73 to finish at 3-over par for the tournament to claim the individual Big 12 title. He tied with three other players for first place.

Ghim is now the sixth Big 12 champion in school history, and the first from Texas to do so since his teammate, senior Scottie Scheffler, won the event in 2015 as a freshman.

“It’s nice to win, obviously.

I wish I could have made that

stephanie martinez | the daily texan staff Senior Scottie Scheffler follows through on a swing. Scheffler tied for fifth place in individual competition, and contributed to Texas’ second-place finish at the Big 12 Championship on Wednesday. putt on 18, but it was a great week,” Ghim said. “It was a strong field with a lot of good players. Our conference is typically one of the stronger ones, so to be able to … say that I was in position to win

MEN’S TENNIS

By Henry Corwin @henrycorwin

The men’s tennis team had a nice win against Baylor to cap off the regular season as they now head into the Big 12 Championships which is scheduled to begin Friday at the Texas Tennis Center. The win on Sunday against Baylor gives the Longhorns a firstround bye, as they are the No. 2 seed in the tournament. Their first matchup of the tournament will be this Saturday in the semifinals.

The Big 12 Championships begin with two matches on Friday. No.4-seeded Oklahoma State is set to take on No. 5 seeded Baylor at 9 a.m. Af-er that, No.3-seeded Oklahoma will take on No. 6-seeded Texas Tech at noon. The Longhorns will play the winner

of the latter match on Saturday. Both semifinal matches are scheduled to begin at noon on Saturday and the Big 12 Championships final will take on place on Sunday at 1 p.m. The top seed in the tournament is TCU. The Longhorns will be looking to avenge a disappointing showing in last year’s Big 12 Championships. They were matched up with their rival Sooners in the first round of last year’s tournament. With home court advantage on their side, Oklahoma was able to edge Texas out, 4-3, and send them packing early. The match came down to a decisive third singles match, where former Longhorn George Goldhoff lost in three sets to Oklahoma’s Alex Ghilea. However, after this year’s win against Oklahoma on April 15, redshirt junior Adrian Ortiz was

best finish of the season.

The Longhorns will return to action once their seed is revealed following the NCAA championship selection show on May 2 at 5:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Conference championship up next for Longhorns

anthony mireles | the daily texan file Redshirt junior Adrian Ortiz smashes the ball. Ortiz said the Longhorns plan to do everything they can to take the Big 12 Championship that begins on Thursday.

a tournament like this is a great feeling.”

Scheffler also finished strong in Tulsa. Scheffler finished at 5-over par, good enough for fifth place, his

straightforward in what the goal is for the Longhorns as they go into this tournament, with the NCAA Championships lurking right around the corner.

“We want to take (the Big 12 tournament) all the way,” Ortiz said. “That’d be definitely awesome, and then see how much damage we can do in the NCAA tournament.”

This year, Texas will have home court advantage on their side. While it is certain that the five other teams in the tournament would have loved to have the tournament on their home turf, you won’t see many complaining about getting to play at the new Texas Tennis Center in its first season of use.

“This is, by far, the greatest tennis facility in the country,” Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said at the opening ceremony of the new stadium in January.

There is currently no rain in the forecast for the entire weekend, so look for all matches to take place at the location and time that is scheduled.

The Longhorns had five players earn Academic All Big-12 honors for the regular season. Junior Colin Markes, redshirt junior Adrian Ortiz and junior Leonardo Telles all made the first team, while junior Rodrigo Banzer and senior John Mee are second team members.

Texas prepares for Big 12 Championship weekend

By Logan Harvill @loganharvill_

Ahead of this weekend’s upcoming Big 12 Championship tournament, the Longhorns received the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye after they secured the Big 12 regular season title last weekend.

Heading into this weekend’s tournament, No. 6 Texas comes in as the favorite to take home the Big 12 Championship. The Longhorns have won their last 14 matches, including 9 matches against conference opponents. Last weekend’s victory over then-No. 25 Baylor to secure an outright Big 12 regular season title was the first since 2004 for the Longhorns, an incredible marker of success for head coach Howard Joffe, who took over the job in June 2015.

The Longhorns regular season didn’t always look like it would be the dramatic success it finished as, however. After suffering nearly four consecutive losses in two weeks early in the season, three of which came in the team indoor championships against the top ranked teams in the nation, the Longhorns sat at an unimpressive 5–4 and looked to be mediocre at best. However, after an impressive win over perennial powerhouse Stanford and a two-weeklong break from competition, the Longhorns surged

katie bauer | the daily texan file Sophomore Bianca Turati returns a hit. Turati was recently named on the 2018 Academic All-Big 12 team, along with four of her fellow Longhorns. back to the dominance many predicted prior to the season and returned to top of the national leaderboards.

“For such a young group to face such adversity early in the season, losing four or

Certainly, they’ve made the coach look good, that’s for sure.”

Howard Joffe,

texas head coach

five matches, to come back and play a schedule that includes all of these Big 12 teams … to play Stanford, Florida and actually go on a streak of 13 or 14 in a

row speaks to their talent, but also a very resilient, very tough and very determined group,” Joffe said.

“Certainly, they’ve made the coach look good, that’s for sure.”

Now, the Longhorns prepare to face their biggest challenge of the season– securing the Big 12 championship, which will be hosted in the Longhorns’ very own Texas Tennis Center. Texas will start its Big 12 tourney run on Friday, April 27 at 12 p.m. against either No. 8-seeded TCU or No. 9-seeded West Virginia, who will play each other in the first round of matches on Thursday.

If the Longhorns defeat their first opponent, they would face either No.4-seeded Kansas or No.5-seeded Baylor. The finals are scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.

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CHARLES LIU & CHRIS DUNCAN

LIFE&ARTS EDITORS @THEDAILYTEXAN

THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018

FASHION

‘Dimension’: from classroom to catwalk Textile and apparel seniors showcase collections in annual show.

By Danielle Ortiz @ danielleaortiz

F

or more than 50 years, senior UT textiles and apparel students have showcased their technical and artistic prowess by dazzling audiences with radiant prints and colors through their clothing collections at the annual UT fashion show. This year’s show, titled “Dimension,” will start tonight at 7 p.m. in the Frank Erwin Center.

While the show is a major tradition now, it started off small, attracting only 500 attendees in its first year. Today, the show draws about 5,000 people per year, making it the largest student-run fashion show in the nation.

The 29 student designers for this year’s show not only see it as a tradition, but also a rite of passage they’ve dreamed about since they were freshmen. Collectively, they have created 150 garments, ranging from digital prints, sustainable clothing and formal dresses, that will be featured in the show.

“I’ve spent over 100 hours on my collections and it’s very satisfying to be at that point where I just need a few finishing

hannah yoes | the daily texan staff Michelle Cantu, architecture alumni and current textiles senior, puts the final touches on her garment for the Dimension fashion show on April 26.

The “Dimension” fashion show is a showcase for the seniors in the textile program to demostrate what they have learned. touches,” said Evelyn Brady, a textiles and apparel senior.

Brady said the 2018 show’s title represents the diversity of the designers involved.

“It’s an expression of how

we’re all very different and all have our own specific design ideas making us a multi-dimensional group,” Brady said. “But we’re all united working towards the same goal.”

The student designers have creative freedom for their collections. Taylor Hicks, a textiles and apparel junior, was scared at first but took paintings she made from acrylics hanging in her

apartment and turned them into screen printed fabrics.

“I designed backwards,” Hicks said. “It’s really cool to see that I could find a way to make it

DIMENSION page 5

CAMPUS

CITY

Design students use exhibition for change

Eeyore’s Birthday celebrates Austin’s uniqueness, raises money for nonprofits

By Trent Thompson @trentthompsonut

Senior design students hang up their projects on the walls in “Catalyst,” an exhibit at UT’s Visual Arts Center designed to evoke pause for thought and a greater understanding of the world.

“Catalyst” features the work of 12 seniors from the School of Design and Creative Technologies. The exhibit is the product of these artists’ yearlong endeavors to gather information, create solutions to problems that resonate with them, and generate physical works that catalyze conversation and social change.

The artists created these works for two senior design classes: Capstone Design Project in the fall and Capstone Design Exhibition in the spring.

One of the artists, design senior Stephanie Collins, said her project “Root Cause” addresses the lack of hair-care facilities and community for black students. Her project displays her research on the subject with a visually enticing graphic.

“It’s an evaluation of not only hair but community at UT for black students,” Collins said. “Some people want to be a part of a community,

and some people just want the resources. This project is meant to address all of those students.”

Collins said her work is meant to serve others, as did design senior Alexander Kim. With his project, “Taste,” Kim combined his interests in design and public policy to create cookbooks in an effort to humanize the cultures of countries the United States is often at odds with — specifically Russia, North Korea and China.

“I began to think about how we can redesign diplomacy in a way that is non-partisan,” Kim said. “Through my research I was thinking that food has always been a great unifier. ” Kim wants people who see his project to walk away with a better understanding of diplomacy and culture through his “cookbooks,” which are designed in the form of a diplomatic brief.

“Diplomacy shouldn’t have bias,” Kim said. “Set your predispositions aside and examine it from a blank slate. That’s what I assume diplomacy would be.”

Design senior Emily Lamontagne said that her project, “Clean Plate Club,” has a similar focus on food, serving as a loose guideline to

DESIGN page 5

gabby lanza | the daily texan file Eeyore’s Birthday supports lesser recognized nonprofits Chautauqua and Austin Pets Alive in its annual Pease Park celebration, which includes dance, food and live local music.

By Karsyn Lemmons @klemmonsss

What better way to celebrate a sad donkey’s special day than by wearing full costume and

eating a chicken fajita?

Inspired by the mopey gray donkey from A. A. Milne’s “Winnie-the-Pooh,” Eeyore’s Birthday is an annual nonprofit celebration that brings recognition and

donations to lesser known organizations in the Austin area, such as Chautauqua-Texas River School and Austin Pets Alive. The event began as a festival in East Woods Park in 1964, when then-UT

student Lloyd Birdwell Jr. wanted to celebrate the end of the academic year. After the event moved to Pease Park, it turned into a day-long

EEYORE page 5

CAMPUS

New animation club provides community for digital storytellers

By Sierra Quarzaza @squarssq

Whether it is waking up for early morning adventures with “Tom and Jerry” or late nights spent enjoying the adult humor in “Rick and Morty,” animation plays a role in many people’s lives.

Although the cartoon days may soon be over for many college students, some wish to carry the art form into their careers.

At UT, animation is not a degree on its own, but there are a few classes offered. For many students, this small pathway into animation is good enough to acquire the skill, but there are some students who wish to further pursue it as a career.

Tiffany Hinojosa, a radio-television-film senior, said she may be moving forward

ryan lam | the daily texan staff Radio-television-film majors Mellissa Lam, left, Tiffany Hinojosa, middle, and Ethan Le hope to provide a community for animators. in her career in media, but cartoons have always held a special place in her heart.

She said she was disappointed that her degree plan did not have many classes geared toward her passion.

“In RTF, there isn’t a lot of resources for animation,”

Hinojosa said. “There is some for 3D but not 2D animation, which is my focus.”

Hinojosa said she looked to student organizations to find an outlet for her passion for animation, and after finding none, she created the UT

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